BRADFORD CITY manager Simon Grayson felt that a lack of quality in the final third proved telling in his side’s last-gasp 1-0 home loss to League One high-fliers Wigan Athletic.

Grayson’s first home game in charge of City after a 31-day wait ended in a cruel fashion with a stoppage-time strike from Michael Jacobs earning the Latics the spoils as they moved up to second.

It was harsh on City, minus suspended top-scorer Charlie Wyke, with their work rate, discipline and resolve being worthy of a point.

Offering his take on a night when Bradford’s winless streak extended to ten matches – with City without a home win this year – Grayson said: “When you analyse the game I don’t think that there was a great deal between the two teams.

“It was probably heading for a nil-nil. When you analyse the game it was one with a lot of endeavour, work-rate and good attitude from the players and I don’t think anyone left anything on the grass. We asked them to give everything in the game.

“But ultimately it is at the top end of the pitch where you try and win games and we just did not have that bit of quality that mattered.

“Both teams found it difficult in terms of the pitch. The groundstaff have done a fantastic job to get it available after Saturday. But you could see that good players for Wigan found it difficult and we found it difficult to open them up.”

The result leaves tenth-placed City six points behind sixth-placed Peterborough United, with a game in hand, but Grayson insists that play-off participation is still on the agenda.

He added: “It was a kick in the teeth, but we dust ourselves down with 11 games to go. There is still an achievable target of getting into the play-offs. I am sure that there will be plenty more teams dropping and gaining points.